Drilling mechanism



Nov. 20, 1934. w. A. SMITH, SR 1,931,475

DRILLING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 11, 1953 IN V EN TOR.

Ml ZamAJrrzit/va Y HIS ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims. (Cl. 2525- -51) 1 This invention relates to drilling mechanisms, and more particularly to a wheeled drilling mechanism capable of being readily transported from one drilling site to another.

One object of the invention is to maintain a vertically disposed rock drill equipped with rebound checking mechanism in suitable operative relationship with the working implement upon which it operates.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawing and in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts,

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a drilling mechanism constructed in accordance with the practice of the invention, and

Figure 2 is a plan view of the drilling mechanism, partly broken away.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the drilling mechanism, designated in general by A, includes in its organization, a mounting B and a rock drill C slidable upon the mounting.

In the form of the invention illustrated the mounting B comprises a frame D' of 'V-shape consisting of a pair of side. members E which converge and may be affixed at one end, in any suitable manner, to a bearing member F. Within the bearing member F is an aperture G for the accommodation of a pointed leg H and a Iblock J which seats against the leg H and may be pressed thereagainst by a set screw K for clamping the leg I-l fixedly to the bearing member F. On the lower end of the leg H is a pointer L adapted to engage the surface of the rock bei ing drilled, and at the upper end of the leg H is a handle 0 whereby the drilling mechanism A may be shifted about.

The other or front ends of the side members E are held rigidly in spaced relation by a plate I P and on the same ends of the members E are axles Q which are secured to the outer surfaces of the members E, as by means of rivets R. The axles Q are hollow for the accommodation of bolts S and extend into wheels T, the hubs U I of which seat with one end against shoulders V on the axles Q. The wheels are retained upon the axles by washers W and nuts X threaded on the outer ends of the bolts S.

The bolts S are preferably held against rotai tional movement within the axles. This is conveniently accomplished, in the present instance, by providing the axles with apertures Y of the same cross sectional shape as the heads of the bolts. Owing to this form of construction the ..wheels T may rotate freely upon the axles Q whenever it isdesired to shift the drilling mech,- anism from one location to .another, and the wheels T may be securely locked against the axles Q to prevent rotation of the wheels by merely tightening the nuts}: on the bolts S. As 8 will be readily appreciated, by locking the wheels fixedly to the frame the wheelsmay serve as rigid members and may, therefore, assist in preventing the mounting from shifting during the operation of drilling.

Disposed uponthe frame D or, as shown, upon the plate P is a column Z illustrated as being in the form of an I-beam of which the flanges b and c serveas guide members. The column Z is disposed perpendicularly with respect to the frame D, and its lower end may be secured to the plate P in any suitable manner. The column Z is, however, additionally braced as by rods 11 which are secured at one end to the column and with their 'otherendsto the side members E upon which they seat.

The rock drill C illustrated for actuating the working implement e into the work, may be of a well known type and is shown as being mount ed upon a cradle 1 having a guideway or guide-.

ways 9 to receive the guide member 11 upon which it slides. i

The rock drill C is additionally equipped with rebound arresting mechanism h which may be substantially like that illustrated tates Patent No. 1,868,294 granted to W. A. Smith, Sr. et al., July 19,1932 The rebound arresting mechanism accordingly comprises a spring pressed link 7' which may be shifted to limited inclined positions, either downwardly or upwardly to grip the guide member 2) and in that way prevent rebound of the rock drill in either upwardly or downwardly directions, depending upon the direction in which it may be desired to move the rock drill C upon the column Z.

Means are provided to counter-balance the combined weights of the rock drill, the cradle f and the rebound arresting mechanism It in order that the Weights of these elements may not rest upon the working implement e and thus interfere with the action of the percussive and rotation elements It and 0, respectively, of the rock drill C. In furtherance of this end the cradle f is provided at its rear end with a link p which engages the hook q of a cable r trained over a sheave s at the upper end of the column Z. On the opposite end of the cable 1' is a hook it, similar to the hook q, and said hook t engages a ice link it affixed to a counter-weight v of substanin United 85 tially the same weight as that of the rock drill C and the elements affixed thereto.

Within the counter-weight v is a slot w to receive the guide member 0 of the column Z upon which the Weight '0 slides freely in opposite directions and whereby it is guided.

Although the drilling mechanism is primarily intended for drilling vertical holes said mechanism may, however, also be readily employed for drilling horizontal holes, as for instance, toeholes at the base of a rock ledge. The mechanism is accordingly provided with an adjustable support member a: which is pivotally mounted upon a pin or ball; y whichserves as a shaft for.

the sheave s.

The support member a: may be readily rocked about the pin y and may consist of a yoke 2 having a projection 2 provided with an internally threaded aperture 3 to accommodate the thread- With suitable flat surfaces 6 for the accommodation of a' Wrench whereby the pointer 5 may be illustrated in Figure 1 said mechanism will be supported by the wheels T and the leg H of which the pointer L will engage the rock surface.

The wheels T will then be locked fixedly to the frame D by the nuts X and the drilling mechanism will, in consequence, remain in the correct desired position with respect to the work. With the rock drill C in operation, and, assuming that said rock drill is moving in a downwardly direction upon the column Z to drill the hole, the link 1 will occupy a position to prevent rebound of the rock drill upon the application of the blows to the working implement e. The rock drill will then be prevented from bearing heavily upon the working implement e by the weight 11 and will at all times occupy the best drilling position with respect to the workingimplement.

After the hole has been drilled the link 7' may be reversed and the rock drill and elements affixed thereto will then be readily moved upwardly along the column Z by the force imparted to the rock drill by the percussive element'k, in a well understood manner. The force of the percussive element k will be augmented by the Weight '0 which will also prevent slippage of the rock drill along the column between successive impulses.

Whenever it is desired to drill holes approaching the horizontal, as for instance toe-holes at the foot of a rock ledge, the drilling mechanism may be rocked about the axles Q so that the column Z will occupy a reclining position. In this position of the drilling mechanism said mechanism will be supported by the wheels T, andby" the support member :0. When thus arranged the 'weight u may be disconnected from the rock drill and the rock drill may then be actuated along the guide member I) in a well known manner. ed end 4 of a pointer 5. The pointer 5 is provided I claim: ,7 ,1 1. A drilling mechanism comprising a frame,

a column supportedfby and being angularly dis-V posed with respect to the frame, a pair of guide members on the column, a rock drill slidable on one guidemember, arresting means on the rock drill and cooperating with the said guide member to determine the direction of movement of the rock drill with respect to the column, and a counter-weight slidable on the other guide member and being connected with the rock drill to balance the weight thereof. v

2. A drilling mechanism comprising a frame, an upright column on the frame and having a pair of guide members, arock drill slidable on one guide member, arresting means on the rock drill and cooperating with said guide member to determine the direction of movement of the rock drill with respect to the column, a counterweight slidable on the. other guide member and being connected to the'rock drill to balance the weight thereof, a leg to support oneend of the frame, wheels to support the other end of the WILLIAM A. SMITH, SR; 

